Living With Hep C: What to Expect

By Suzanne Verity
WebMD FeatureReviewed by Jennifer Robinson, MD

If you’ve just found out you have hepatitis C, you have a lot of questions. If you’re like most people with this condition, you probably never knew you had it until now.

You’re not alone. Hepatitis C isn’t rare in the U.S., especially among baby boomers -- people born between 1945 and 1965. People this age are five times more likely than others to get the virus, which causes swelling and scarring of the liver. 

Hepatitis C: Diet and Exercise

Contrary to the claims of many books and web sites, there's no such thing as a proven hepatitis C diet or exercise regimen. But while you have to be wary of any programs promising cures, you should eat right and get exercise. "There's no hard data about exercise or eating right with hepatitis C, but I always tell people to do it," says David Thomas, MD, professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. "Exercise can make them feel better, especially with depression caused by...

Read the Hepatitis C: Diet and Exercise article > >

Even though it was surely a shock to get your test results, it’s your first step toward a cure.

And hepatitis C can be cured. It happens when your doctor finds no trace of the virus in your body 6 months after you finished the medication.

In 1990, strong drugs called interferons were approved to treat the disease. But they had severe side effects, and a low cure rate. “Now, we are curing more than 90% with pills,” says David L. Thomas, MD, MPH. He's the director of the division of infectious Diseases at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Fear looms large when people find out they have hepatitis C, Thomas says. “Most want to know if they will have to be on interferon or have a liver biopsy.” He says some of his patients have avoided getting care or being tested because they're afraid of these things.

“The beauty of current therapy is that interferon is no longer required in the vast majority of patients,” says Paul Gaglio, MD. He's the medical director of liver transplantation in the division of hepatology at Montefiore Medical Center. “Most can be cured with one tablet, taken once a day for 8, 12, or 24 weeks.”

One of the first things to do is find a specialist to take over your care. Doctors trained to treat organs of the digestive tract (gastroenterologists), liver doctors (hepatologists), and infectious disease specialists all stay up to date on how to treat and cure hepatitis C.

Now, get ready for a few tests. Your doctor will want to find out which of six kinds (genotypes) of hepatitis C you have. 

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